Bicycle lamp



June 18, 1940.

I A. J. sr-:lss

BICYCLE LAMP Filed Feb. 26, 1958 Patented June 18, 1940 l `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f BICYCLE LAMP August J. Seiss, Toledo, Ohio' Application February 26, 1938, Serial No. 192,823

` 4 claims. (ol. 24o-7.55) the cell and battery `shell in the rear endof the u My invention has for its object to provide an eicient electric bicycle dry battery lamp. The invention particularly relates to structural parts which are so formed that the dry battery cells may be readily replaced and, also, whereby many o-f the contacting parts of the lamp may be elastically held in position to eliminate relative displacement and jarring against each other.

The invention also provides a means for elastically securing the lamp reflector, the lens, and the battery cells in position.

`The invention provides a removable elastic sheet metal shell that encloses the dry battery cells, the end parts of the shell being formed to cause the shell to elastically maintain electric connection between the lampand the cells.

The invention may be contained in lamps `of different forms and to illustrate a practical application of `the invention, I have selected a bicyclehead lamp as illustrative of an embodin ment of the invention and shall describe the selected lamp hereinafter. l l

Fig. l is a longitudinal section of the lamp. Fig. `2 illustrates a side view of thebattery-supporting shell when in aposition different from `that shown in Fig. 1, to show relation of certain parts of the shell. c l,

The lampi shell I has a substantially torpedo or streamline shape. It' is formed to haveya progressively decreasing diameter, the rear end terminating in a substantially paraboloidal part 2. The forward end is closed by means of a lens 4 which issecured in position by means of `a ring 3. Theflamp may be supported by means of a suitable bracket 6.

The lamp shell contains a dry battery-supporting shell 5 in which electrically connected cells 'I and 8 of the battery are located. The shell `5 is formed of elastic sheet metal shaped cylindrically and split to form the slot having spaced edge parts. The diameter of the shell 5 is such as to encircle the cells and elastically and frictionally contact with the insulating material, such as paper, commonly secured to and used for `covering the cells. The `shell 5 is provided with a spring contact 9 that engages the sloping end wall of the shell I and is pressed thereby against the metal bottom of the cell 'I to electrically connect the wall of the shell I with the dry battery. The corners formed by the slot 2|) and the end edge of the shell 5 engage the rear sloping wall of the shell I and operate to yieldingly draw the opposed edge parts of the Slo-t 20 toward each other and clamp the cells I and 8 and, also center lamp shell.

The shell I also has, at its forward end, a lamp I0 and a metal reflector in which the lamp III-is secured in position to connect its central `located contact I5 may be moved into position to make Contact with the reflector II to` complete a circuit through the cells, the lamp Ii), the reflectorv Il, the contact I5, and the wall of the shell I to the metal bottom of the cell l. i

The metal `of the shell 5 is also out to form relatively large openings 2| having centers which are disposed substantially in the plane of the contiguous ends of the cells 'l and 8, whereby, upon removal of the shell 5 from the shell I, the central contact of the cell 'I and the bottom contact of the cell 8 may be readily viewedto determine the degree ofoxidation and determine whether there is reasonably good connection between thecells of the battery without removal of the cells from the shell 5.

'I'he shell 5 is connected to a `ring 22 by means of ears 24 formed from -the metal of one end of the shell 5 and alsoby fingers 25 that are connectedto the ears 24 by suitable rivets 2l. The

`lingers 25 are struck-up from the metal from which the ring 22 is formed and are bent to flare outwardly with respect t'o the axis of the shell 5. The ring 22 has an outwardly extending flange 28 and an outwardly extending lug that protrudes from a rear edge part of the ring 22. The width of the ring,`as measured parallel to the axis of the shell, is formed narrow and frustumal.

The rear end ofthe elastic sheet metal shell 5 g is formed to have tongues 3|, 32, and 34 and the longitudinal dimension of the shell, including the ring attached thereto, is such that whenI the shell are formed from portions of the vshell 5 located on opposite sides of the slot 2l) and have corners 35 Thetongues 3| and 32 that engage the sloping Wall to bias the metal of the shell toward closure of the slot.

An end part 36 of the spring 9 is secured to the shell 5 to locate the bent end part 31 of the spring 9 intermediate the tongues 3i and 34. It also has an end part 3l bent inwardly to engage the bottom contact of the cell 1. When the shell 5 is v moved inward to its normal position' within the shell I, the spring 9 is engaged by the sloping wall of the shell I at the point of its bend to increase its rigidity and the pressure of the spring against the metal bottom of the cell '1. Thus, when the shell 5 is inserted in position in the shell I and the lens 1l is secured in its position, the edge of the reflector II and the cells 'I and 8 are yieldingly pressed by the elasticity of the shell 5.

Whenr the shell 5 is inserted in the shell I, the tongues 3l, 32, and 34 and the spring 9 engage and are pressed against the sloping wall of the shell I to elastically and yieldingly resist the inward movement and produce a bias toward the other end of the shell I. The shell 5 is secured in position by the insertiton of the lug 3l) in slots 38 and MJ, one located in the wall of the shell I and the other located in the ring 3, whereby the lens il, the iiange .28, and the reector I I are secured in the shell I and the cells and contacts of the cells and the lamp are elastically pressed to maintain continuity of the electric circuit, The sloping or frustumal edge and the narrow widthy of the ring 22 enables ready insertion of the lug 30 and into the slots 38 and 4I) as the parts are .assembled and moved together with the reflector I I and the shell 5 into their respective positions ini the shell I against the yielding pressure of the inner end parts of the shell 5 until the lug 3i) snaps into the aligned slots 35i and Ml. The closure ring 3 is then secured by the screw @il that is threaded into the wall of the shell I. Removal or loosening ofthe parts is produced by removing the screw 4I and merely laterally moving the ring 22 to withdraw the lug 3i) from the slots, whereupon, the elastic ,parts of the inner end of the shell 5 operate to press the parts outwardly from the shell I. The sloping surface of the ring permits its relative lateral movement of the sloping part across the edge of the lamp shell I to release the elastically p l. In a dry battery lamp, a lampl shell having a rear end wall sloping toward the central longitudinal axis of the shell, a split battery-enclosing shell formed of elastic sheet material, a battery cell located in the battery shell, an electric bulb,-

the bulb and the cell having electric contacts, the rear end of the battery shell having a plurality of elastic tongues engaged by the sloping wall upon insertion of the battery shell into the lamp` shell for frictionally and elastically engaging the battery cell for centering the battery shell within the rear end of the lamp shell and biasing the contact of the battery cell toward the lamp Contact.

2. In a battery lamp', a lamp shell havingA a tapering rear end wall sloping toward the central longitudinal axis of the shell, a split batteryenclosing shell formed of elastic sheet material and located in the lampl shell and having rear end parts engaged by the end wall to center and reduce the rear end of the battery shell, a battery cell locatedin the battery shell and elastically and frictionally engaged by said rear end parts of the battery shell when the battery cell and the battery shell are inserted in the lamp shell and the rear` end of the battery shell is pressed against the tapering rear end of the lamp shell.

3. In a dry battery lamp, a lamp shell having a rear end wall sloping toward the central longitudinal axis of the shell, a battery-enclosing shell formed of elastic sheet material located in the lamp shell, a battery cell located in the battery shell, an electric bulb, a reflector for supporting the bulb, means located Vin the forward end of the lamp shell for engaging the reflector, a plurality of elastic parts supported on the battery shell and engaged by the rear end sloping wall for elastically centering the rear end. of the battery shell and elastically pressing the battery shell against the reflector upon insertion oi the battery shell and the reflector in position in the lamp shell.

4. In a dry battery lamp, a lamp shell having a wall sloping toward the central longitudinal axis of the shell, a battery-'enclosing shell formed of elastic sheet material located in the lamp shell and having a slotted end portion, a battery cell located in the battery shell and having a contact, an electric bulb having a contact, the corner parts formed at the end of the slotted end portion, of the battery shell adapted to be engaged by the sloping wall upon insertion of the battery shell in the lamp shell and be deflected inwardly with respect to the battery shell to engage the battery for pressing the battery and lamp contacts one against the'other and thesurface of the battery cell against the inner surface of the battery shell.

` AUGUST J. SEISS. 

